2011 was another record year for BLACKSOCKS

2011 was another good year for BLACKSOCKS, the inventor of the sockscription. As in previous years, a double-digit turnover growth was achieved. Visits to the web-site are also up by a third.

Zurich, 19 January 2012: BLACKSOCKS, the e-commerce pioneer and inventor of the sockscription, is continuing its success story and has once again secured a two-digit increase in turnover in 2011. Ten of the twelve months of last year were the best since the company started out in 1999. Visits to the website are also up by a third compared to 2010 and every tenth visitor to the BLACKSOCKS website now comes via a smartphone or iPad. In 2011, 5 percent of all sales came through iPhones, iPads and other mobile devices; four times more than in the previous year. And one more record: BLACKSOCKS has never shipped as many items as in 2011.

More and more international

Disproportionately strong growth in the USA and Germany has been a factor in this success. Turnover from the USA is up by two thirds. More and more American men have had enough of one-size-fits-all socks made of artificial fibres and are opting for our correct-size socks made of quality natural fibres. The Germans, too, are increasingly getting a taste for BLACKSOCKS. Turnover in Germany doubled in 2011. In 2011, over one quarter of sales came from abroad.

Trend towards larger sizes

Have men's feet grown or has BLACKSOCKS simply tapped into a new market segment? The fact is that 2011 saw a significant increase in sock sales in sizes 45 to 52. Samy Liechti, Managing Director of BLACKSOCKS: "for men with big feet, it is not easy to find socks that fit. Word gets around that we can also cater for men with big feet."

Success with new products

Newly launched products, including Urban Comfort socks made of fairtrade organic cotton, and new sock colours have not taken sales away from the existing range but generated new sales for themselves. While socks and t-shirts reported growth in the last year, partially thanks to the newly launched Pierrette polo shirt, sales of underwear were slightly down for the year. BLACKSOCKS Managing Directory Liechti is pleased to report that "the figures show that the launch of the Pierrette polo shirt in spring 2011 was a real success".

Satisfied customers

BLACKSOCKS customers are loyal. Last year, regular visitors to the website increased by 80 percent. A disproportionately large number of these customers have also made purchases. There is also a positive development in terms of new customers: 18,000 more. Moreover, we were able to reactivate an above average number of former clients. "Our customer service really lives up to its name and makes a major contribution in this area," explains Liechti. "We are happy to solve any customer problems and do it quickly and simply."

BLACKSOCKS Managing Director Liechti has a good feeling about 2012: "Sales figures thus far this year have been good. We have also had a couple of good ideas and planned projects that we will be implementing this year."

Further information on BLACKSOCKS and print-quality images at: www.blacksocks.com/media

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